Confederate Railroad Removed From Illinois Fair Lineup Because of Their Name
Southern rock band Confederate Railroad has been removed from the lineup at the Du Quoin State Fair in Illinois due to their name. The decision has prompted a few of the band's peers to speak up in support of the group.
According to Southern Illinois' WSIL-TV and the Pinckneyville Press, a local newspaper for the nearby city of Pinckneyville, Confederate Railroad were scheduled to perform at the Du Quoin State Fair in Du Quoin, Ill., on Aug. 27. However, according to Du Quoin State Fair Manager Josh Gross, the Illinois Department of Agriculture chose to remove the band from the fair's lineup after a writer for the Illinois-focused political blog called Capitol Fax posed the question of whether or not it was appropriate for the band to be playing at a state-owned venue.
"While every artists has a right to expression," Gross says, "we believe this decision is in the best interest of serving all of the people in our state."
Confederate Railroad were joined on the bill by fellow country bands Shenandoah and Restless Heart, as part of "'90s Country ReLoaded Day" at the Du Quoin State Fair. The latter two groups will still perform.
Confederate Railroad, the Pinckneyville Press reports, declined to comment on the matter when reached via Facebook. The band has not posted a statement on social media, but both Charlie Daniels and Oak Ridge Boys member Joe Bonsall have voiced their disapproval of the fair's decision on Twitter.
"This political correctness thing is totally out of control," Daniels writes. "When a fair cancels the Confederate Railroad band because of their name its giving in to facism, plain and simple and our freedom disappears piece by piece. Sick of it [sic]."
"Canceling @ConfederateRR JUST because their name is CONFEDERATE RAILROAD is a crock of crap!!!" writes Bonsall. "These are good men singing good songs ... God please help us all ..."
Formed in Marietta, Ga., in 1987, Confederate Railroad are best known for their early '90s Top 10 hits "Queen of Memphis," "Trashy Women" and others. Their first two albums, 1992's Confederate Railroad and 1994's Notorious, are certified double-platinum and platinum, respectively.
Confederate Railroad's last record, Lucky to Be Alive, was released in 2016. In 2018, founding member Wayne Secrest died after a long illness. He had retired from the road in late 2017.
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